The World Series of Poker is the jewel in the poker world’s crown, the ultimate showdown for poker players across the globe. Every year, in Las Vegas, the WSOP sets up camp and offers over 50 tournaments during a two month period.

At the end of each tournament is a coveted bracelet, and the honour of being a WSOP title holder. The magic of the WSOP started back in 1969, when Benny Binion called together the best poker players in the world for an invitational tournament.

Since then, the Series has evolved into a mammoth event that offers millions of dollars in prize money, bracelets, and TV coverage across the world. Indeed, from humble beginnings, the WSOP has turned into the poker world’s most exciting event.

The turning point for the WSOP came in 2003, when an amateur player from America took down the event’s most prestigious tournament: the $10,000 Main Event.

Chris Moneymaker was a recreational player before the summer of 2003. By day he worked as an accountant and, by night, he would play online poker for fun. One evening he decided to play a WSOP qualifier and, after winning the tournament, he found himself at the $10,000 Main Event.

Despite being one of the least experienced players in the event, he overcame the odds to take down the title and $2.5 million. From that day forward, his win caused a massive surge of interest in the game of poker. Everyone wanted to emulate his performance and so they flooded to the WSOP in their droves.

Today the WSOP plays host to thousands of people from across the world, with the $10,000 Main Event attracting more than 5,000 players each year.

Indeed, for many poker players, the WSOP is the highlight of the year, and winning a bracelet often means more than the prize money. For this reason alone, the WSOP is poker’s pinnacle tournament series.